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Title: Finding Something BetterAuthor: FidomomDisclaimer: This is a work of fiction. It is only loosely based on characters from the tv series Roswell as I imagine they could be from different points throughout and beyond the three seasons of the show. I am not affiliated with any of the original creations nor creators from the series. I will make no monetary gains from publishing this work of fiction.Pairings/Couples/Category: Michael/Maria, Max/Liz AU with aliens, Rating: AdultStory Premise: Roswell's three teenaged aliens and three of their friends, upon graduation from highschool, embark on a journey toward adulthood, living life everywhere and anywhere outside of Roswell, New Mexico, and endeavouring to do good, while avoiding law enforcement, and other threats.Chapter Summary: Michael and Maria consider giving their relationship merry- go-round another ride.Author's Note: warnings=work in progress, this story will eventually contain relationships that might upset fans of strictly canon and it will also include events that may be upsetting for the reader (no main character death, though). If there's a specific thing you don't ever want to read about you can ask me in PM if I intend to have that in my story; if this is a safe read for you or not and I will tell you. I just don't want to divulge too much of my plot by warning everybody for everything I intend to have in this story.

~FM

Finding Something Betterby Fidomom

Chapter One

Five nights after leaving Roswell, New Mexico, the six member exodus were finally getting their scheduled overnight at a motel with beds and showers.

As Maria and Liz were getting their things from the minivan to take to the motel cabins they'd be staying in that night, Liz asked tentatively, "So what's really going on with you and Michael?"

Maria puffed out her lips and sighed heavily before answering forlornly, "I would love to know the answer to that myself, Liz, I really would. I mean he isn't the only reason I'm tagging along but he's definitely a big part of it. For some Michael logic reason or another things are just really awkward with us right now. I'm starting to wonder if he wishes I'd stayed in Roswell, you know?"

Liz nodded understandingly and then asked pointedly, "Well, have you tried talking to him about it?"

Maria looked down at the ground sheepishly and admitted, "Well, no. He has avoided being one on one with me since the night we supposedly got back together. Maybe I should just not even try any more."

Liz raised her eyebrows skeptically and asked like she already knew the answer, "Do you still love him, though?"

Maria's face coloured slightly and she nodded, confirming Liz's obvious belief, "Yes, of course, I love him. I've come to accept that this is just the permanent state of my heart where he is concerned and I just have to find a way to grin and bear it."

Liz smiled sympathetically at Maria and set aside her belongings to sling an arm around Maria's shoulders, offering words matching her smile, "I'm sorry, Maria. I've been so focused on Max that I missed entirely that you and Michael were not quite okay with each other. I only finally noticed it tonight. Is there anything I can do to cheer you up or at least take your mind off of him for a few minutes?"

Maria smiled back at her gratefully then leaned toward Liz to rest her head against Liz's and she declined, "I appreciate the offer but no, not really and it's okay, Liz. You're my very best friend, I love you like crazy and I am really and truly happy that things with you and Max are working out so beautifully. Hey, who knows in case things don't pan out for me and Michael, maybe someday my heart will make room and I'll love someone new but just differently than I love him, you know?"

Liz's expression belied any conviction her words tried to convey as she offered Maria support, "Yeah. That could totally happen. I hope it really does. You do deserve happiness, Maria."

Maria appreciated Liz's effort and said as much, "Thanks, Liz. Guess I was wrong. You actually did just cheer me up. You really are the best!"

Liz made a hasty obviously made up excuse to leave them alone, "You know what, Maria, Max and I have this thing, a mini date thing, yeah so I'm just gonna go and let you and Michael talk.,

"Michael, don't leave her, as soon as I'm gone. You guys should talk, okay?", Liz advised him as she walked backward, then turned and ran off.

Michael made an annoyed face and said dismissively, "Whatever. Yeah, fine. Later, Science."

Maria called out in nervous desperation to her already retreated friend, "Thanks a lot, Liz. I'm rethinking the whole you're the best, thing. Just kidding. Have fun on your mini date. Mini date my butt."

Michael started grabbing his things from the minivan, as well, and questioned, "So what is it that she thinks we need to talk about? And why are you so down?"

Maria looked at the ground and kicked at the dirt as she mumbled, "How typical that you really don't know, Michael."

Michael slammed the vehicle door harder than it needed to be making Maria jump slightly and he warned, "If you're cruising for a fight, Maria, I'm out. I'm too exhausted."

Maria countered irritably, "So then why are you out here instead of already gone to bed?"

Michael answered as if it should already be obvious to her, "I was looking for you."

Maria blinked in surprise and asked before she could stop herself, "Oh. Why?"

Michael shrugged and answered honestly, "It's just been bugging me that you haven't crashed with me even once since we got back together. I thought you agreed that we were in this together but I've been sleeping or rather not sleeping by myself for like four days. Like I said, I'm exhausted. You coming to bed with me now or what?"

Maria's eyes and mouth widened perceptibly and then she blurted, "You're unbelievable! Am I coming to bed? Are you serious? You expect me to have sex with you after you've been avoiding and ignoring me since the night we supposedly reconciled?"

Michael frowned in annoyance and denied her assessment, "No, I haven't! And I didn't say sex I said bed. I'm tired, Maria. For the first time in my life, I can't fall asleep in strange places and having you with me is probably my only shot at getting some shut eye, tonight, finally. Can we fight later? Can you just come to bed already? Please?"

Maria opened and closed her mouth a few times wordlessy before finally rambling, "I. What even? Fine. Well, I guess I've gotta sleep, somewhere. Sure why not with my is he or isn't he my ex? Okay, Michael, you win. But I am not being your booty call! We will not be having sex, understood?"

Michael heaved a visible sigh of relief, nodded and held out his free hand to her as he agreed, "Sure. Fine. Come on. Let's just go to bed."

Michael laced his fingers with hers and without speaking, they walked brusquely hand in hand to the cabin that Michael had chosen from the ones they had all rented for the night.

Michael broke the silence just once to object to what she intended to wear to bed. He threw her one of his clean t-shirts instead and claimed, "I don't want a perfume headache tonight. If you don't mind."

Maria huffed and accepted it with a roll of her eyes. She put it on and crawled under the covers on what had traditionally become her side of the bed whenever they'd slept together. She attempted to sleep on her side facing away from him but as soon as he got into bed and snapped off the bedside lamp, he reached for her, rolled her easily onto her back and snuggled up to her chest. Maria objected indignantly, "What did I just say, Michael? What are you doing?!"

Michael didn't alter his position as he defended, "What?! I'm just getting comfortable. Your heartbeat is a comforting familiar sound. I just want to sleep already. Okay?"

Maria relaxed and said quietly, "Oh. Okay, Michael. Sorry for taking it wrong. Goodnight, then. I hope you get a good sleep, tonight. Michael? Michael?"

Maria chuckled in amused chagrin and complained under her breath, "And just like that I'm doomed to never be over this guy."

His hand reached under her shirt slightly to lightly rub her side with his thumb and he slurred his words like he'd been drugged, "I heard that and good. Ditto. Can you do that thing with my hair, again?"

Maria sighed in defeat and her fingers began softly combing through the hair at his temple and down behind his ear as she agreed softly, "Sure. Go to sleep, spaceboy."

"And sing?", he requested hopefully.

"Yeah, I can do that, too.", and she sang Nothing Else Matters a cappella until she was certain he was asleep before she finally let herself fall asleep, too.

*****

Maria felt like she'd only just fallen asleep when she became aware of daylight and of Michael fidgeting restlessly as he mumbled, "Don't do it, Maria, don't say yes. No matter how many times I ask just say no. Promise me you'll say no."

Maria asked in drowsy confusion, "Michael? Say no to what?"

Michael startled slightly, lifted his head to look at her through one barely opened eye and said groggily, "Huh? Maria? Wow, you're still here. I thought for sure I was gonna wake up alone. Good to be wrong."

Maria didn't acknowledge his pleasure at finding himself still in bed with her but asked him again, "Michael, what were you just telling me to say no to?""He frowned in consternation, then shrugged, yawned and snuggled against her again as he mused, "Hmm? Oh. I don't know. Must have been dreaming. Don't remember now."

Maria nodded and rolled her eyes as she absentmindedly rubbed his back and complained, "Figures. Do you think you can let me up, now, spaceboy, since you're awake? I have to pee."

He rolled away from her slightly, answering, "Course.", and then he asked, "You coming back to bed?"

Maria tugged down on the hem of the t-shirt she'd worn to bed, as it had ridden up significantly while they'd slept and she answered him in subdued incredulity,"Uhh, no, wasn't planning on it."

He sleepily pouted,"Why not?"

Maria gave him a knowing look and admonished, "Because in spite of the whole cute, sleepy Michael routine you're playing right now, neither one of us is tired any more and the only reason to go to bed with an on again off again ex-lover when nobody is tired, is for sex and I already told you last night, that is not happening. Here's how it is in broad daylight, if you want me to literally sleep with you after tonight you will stay right there and we are going to talk relationship status, all over again, after I relieve myself, deal?"

He gave her a questioning look and countered, "To take a shower? Even for you that's a weird thing to say. Save water with me?"

Maria narrowed her eyes and asked him suspiciously, "So much for staying put. Wait! Michael, are you trying to seduce me?"

He fought a smirk and denied it, "Nah, I just know you like it when I wash your back. If you don't want me to this morning, it's fine. I'll try to make it quick so you have enough hot left for your hair."

Maria's eyes moved all up and down his body and her throat went dry. She relented and admitted to him, "I can't believe I'm getting sucked in this easily. Okay I'm into it. Move over, spaceboy."

Michael managed to gloat with just the glimmer of a smile and he disclaimed, "Look, Maria, just so you know, the only way we are having shower sex is if you make the first move, so don't pout if I don't come on to you. I still think you're really hot but you said no sex a bunch of times now so I intend to behave myself. Got it?"

Maria lightly smacked his upper arm and complained, "Oh, right, like flattery isn't flirting? What do you call that, if that isn't coming on to me?"

Michael flinched away from the smack, chuckling and answered, "Easy. I call it a statement of fact. You are what you are. Come closer so I can get your back for you."

Maria glowered at him even as she complied. She accused poutingly, "You're the devil, Michael Guerin."

Michael stood just close enough to her for his chest to be in light contact with hers and he lathered his hands and began slowly spreading the lather all over her back. He spoke so close to her ear his lips grazed it, "Yeah, well, your halo is a bit tarnished, too, Maria."

Maria's breath caught and she said his name so quietly he almost didn't hear it over the sound of the shower, "Michael."

He didn't still his hands. He lightened his touch until she visibly shivered and then he finally prompted her to continue, "Yeah, Maria?"

She put her hands on his shoulders and moved them in a light caress between his shoulders, collar bones and chest, before finally speaking her mind, "If you don't give me shower sex like right now, I'm not singing to you ever again."

He pulled her into a full body contact kiss that trailed from her lips, along her jawline down her neck, then up again directly to her ear before acknowledging her ultimatum, "Then I guess we're having shower sex like right now.", and then he turned with her suddenly so that her back was against the inside shower wall.

He slid his hand over her hip, down her behind and gripped the back of her thigh. She offered no resistance when he lifted her leg to his hip and then rubbed his aroused flesh against hers, just hard enough to elicit a response.

She gasped and wound her arms around the back of his neck, inviting him to lift her higher. He accepted and lifted her off both feet, She wound her legs around him, too and he pressed himself tightly against her, pinning her between himself and the wall, grinding against her most sensitive places as he kissed her deeply, sucking on her lips, and tasting her mouth.

She squirmed impatiently against him, with a slight whimper and he gave her what she wanted.

She abruptly pulled away from his kiss to cry out, "Ohhh! Michael, Michael, oh my God. I've missed this. I missed you, so much.", and then she was kissing him back again, matching his hunger and passion.

He dragged his mouth away from hers to echo her sentiments, "I missed you more. Plus I love you more.", and then he spent some time with his mouth on her neck, leaving his mark for her to discover later.

Maria leaned into his mouth at her neck and asked, between laboured breaths, "What is love to you, then, a contest?"

He ceased kisssing her and grinding inside her. He looked her in the eye and clarified, "No, but I heard enough of your chat with Science, last night, to know that you forgot how I feel about you. I'm just reminding you, that's all. Your ride is about to get wild, I suggest you hold on tight."

Maria only managed one intelligible, "Michael.", before Michael made good on his warning and rendered all of her subsequent vocalisations loud, frequent and quite incoherent.

By the time they were done in the shower, Maria's legs felt like jelly from her exertions and both she and Michael were quite out of breath. Michael dried them both off but not very well. He embraced her and kissed her as he moved them from the bathroom back to the bed. She didn't utter any word of complaint as he backed her onto the bed and made love to her some more. Afterward, they lay cuddled closely in each others arms with not even a sheet to cover them.

Maria was the first to move. She kissed Michael's chest and said sincerely, "Thank-you. I have some stuff to do, now, though. I have to deal with my hair and my legs aren't gonna shave themselves so unless you are into your girlfriend resembling a porcupine, you should probably let me up."

Michael didn't immediately let go of her and he asked, "Do I get to watch?"

Maria smiled and shook her head in fond exasperation but agreed, "Sure, but no interference allowed. Deal?"

Michael nodded his agreement and let her up. It took her fewer than twenty minutes to do her after shower rituals and Michael didn't take his eyes off of her except for when she disappeared into the bathroom to attend to things which required a mirror. Only when she reached for some clothes to put on did he voice a complaint, "Don't, Maria! Come back to bed with me."

Maria paused with her bra half on, looked at Michael sprawled out naked and uncovered on the bed. She sighed and took her bra back off again, then crawled onto the bed from the foot, up his body and paused on all fours directly over him. He didn't move or reach for her until she leaned down to kiss him softly on the lips. He pulled her snugly to himself then and she cuddled against him with a contented sigh. He lightly rubbed her upper arm and he asked conversationally, "So, you feeling better, now, Maria?"

She laughed lightly and confessed, "Yes. Much. Thank-you, Michael."

He nodded in approval and then tilted her chin to look her in the eye as he spoke,"Good. Now maybe you can explain that crack you made earlier about me being your ex-lover. What the hell was that about?"

Maria looked startled by the question but then she grew pensive and instead of answering him, she asked him a question of her own, "Michael, why have we spent zero time alone together, until last night, since we decided to get back together?"

Michael's eyes softened and he answered quietly, "That's on you. I already told you how I felt about you, all you had to do was bridge the gap. I was waiting for you because I didn't know how you were feeling about us. We agreed we were doing this together and then nothing for four days straight. I'm curious to know what you were thinking for those four days."

Maria shrugged and looked away as she confessed, "I guess I thought that you still wished I had stayed behind in Roswell and that being around me was uncomfortable for you since you only said you loved me when you thought you were saying goodbye to me forever. Plus that was like the week before graduation, so I wasn't sure if anything had changed for you since then."

Michael rubbed at his eyebrow and sighed as he conceded, "Okay, I admit it; I do wish you had stayed in Roswell but not because I don't want you with me. It's because I just want you to be safe and happy and I'm not sure you can be either of those things if I stay in your life. Selfishly, I prefer having you with me. That's what makes me feel safe and happy, but I'm too aware that being on the run like this, when you don't have to be, Maria, it's not good for you.

As you pointed out the night you joined us, though, it's really not up to me. It's your life and your choice. I guess I was giving you space to not get my own hopes up in case you changed your mind. Since we're both here on this journey, though and it seems like you intend to continue whether I give you space or not, well then I guess I'm an oppportunist. If you are here, then I want you with me. As in with me, with me, but if that isn't what you want just tell me. Tell me what the rules are and I'll do my best to abide by them. I meant what I said when I thought we were saying goodbye and that hasn't changed and never will. I will love you no matter what. Always, Maria. Whether we are a couple or not. So just talk to me. Tell me what you really want."

Maria looked him in the eye and spoke emotionally, "Michael. You know, sometimes when you speak about us, you put your foot in it and deeply hurt my feelings, but wait, not this time. This time I think you just made me fall more in love with you and made me more sure that I am exactly where I want to be and with exactly whom I belong. I love you so much, Michael.

What I want is to be wherever you are, be it cars, minivans, beds, showers, whatever, if you're there, then that's where I most want to be. Can we do that? Can we just be together; have a life together whether on the run or maybe even someday keep having a life together if the running isn't necessary anymore?"

Michael nodded and agreed, "Yeah. Of course we can. So you're gonna crash with me from now on?"

Maria chuckled at how quickly he'd swung the topic back to sleeping together but answered him, "Yes, spaceboy."

Michael flirted shamelessly, "Naked?"

Maria flirted back more coyly, "Sometimes, yes."

Michael grinned smugly and hugged her extra tight as he declared, "I'll take it. I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings, I really was just being cautious in case you had changed your mind. I had no idea you would think, well, that you would think what you thought. I don't just love you, Maria; I like you. I like having you close to me. I'll try to let you see that more often. Thinking about it, you know, the insomnia was driving me nuts. If you hadn't been here already, I think I just might have turned around, gone back, and abducted you, again. Just saying."

Maria laughed appreciatively at that and admitted, "And I would have let you, again. Oh my God, Michael, do you think I have Stockholm's syndrome?"

Michael nodded resolutely and unofficially diagnosed, "Oh, you definitely do. You wanna get over it?"

Maria pretended to think about it and then she slowly shook her head and committed, "Nope, I think ... I think I'm all good with it."

Michael accepted the answer as if he'd predicted as much. He switched their focus back to his recently favourite topic, "Can we have sex, again, now?"

Maria didn't even blink as she quickly answered,"Oh yes, spaceboy. Definitely. I'm owed at least another three rounds for every night we've missed, since leaving Roswell."

Michael laughed wryly and said, "Well, if you really wanna keep score, I'm owed way more than that for the whole time we were broken up."

Maria caressed his jawline with her index finger and kissed him once before suggesting, "Then I guess we'd better get busy settling the score." and then she kissed him again.

Michael started to respond and kiss her back but then he suddenly pulled away to say, "Maria, I just want to mention that even when we were broken up no matter which one of us did it, I still never thought of us as exes. I didn't like it when you referred to me as your ex, earlier. To me exes are people who used to love each other but don't any more and as far as I know that has never been us. Am I wrong about that?"

Maria winced in regret and agreed with him, "No, you're right, Michael. I have never stopped loving you. I'm sorry for saying we were exes. I mean how did we ever suppose you could be my ex-spaceboy, anyway? How would that even work? There's no such thing. It's completely ridiculous."

Michael looked her in the eye as his thumb caressed the newest mark he'd left on her neck, in the shower earlier and he spoke quietly, "Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Thanks."

Maria leaned into his caress briefly then shifted herself to encourage him to roll her underneath him. When he'd acted on her physical suggestion, she wrapped her arms and legs around him and ordered, "And on that note, you need to come a lot closer, my permanent spaceboy. There's something that I need you to know."

He kissed her mouth with his eyes open and then asked intently, "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

Maria kissed him on the lips repeatedly speaking between each kiss, "Oh, just that I missed your hot bod, your possessive hands and your amazing lips all over me. God Michael you turn me on! Why do you have to be so bloody sexy?"

Michael grinned proudly and nuzzled her neck. He muttered almost to himself, "Yeah, you must have really missed me, you're usually way more careful about saying things that might inflate my ego."

Maria pulled him away from her neck to look him in the eye and she conceded, "You know what, Michael? You're right and I'm sorry. I'm gonna work on being more fair about that."

Michael's eyes were glazed in lust and he asked in confusion, "Wait, what? Why are you sorry, now?"

Maria held his face between her palms and explained in remorse, "For withholding from you what I really think of you, when I am having good thoughts about you and trying to justify it, by blaming you for how it might affect you."

Michael's eyes showed his confusion as he asked for clarification, "I don't follow. Say again but maybe this time in English?"

Maria sighed and hugged him suddenly, rubbing his back appreciatively as she elaborated, "It's just pissy of me to only criticise you and rarely compliment you just in case that might make you feel too good, Michael. It's kind of mean. I love you. A lot. I should be doing what I can to support and encourage you and I should have more faith in you. I should expect the best of you instead of the worst."

Michael pulled away to look at her and disagreed adamantly, "Whoa, whoa, no, Maria. Trust me on this, you're fine. You don't owe me an apology. You know me really well and you're right, I do get too cocky if I think there's smooth sailing and maybe I don't try to give you reasons to compliment me when I'm feeling too full of myself like that.

I like that you call me on my crap and keep me on my toes and give me incentives to try. As long as I'm trying, then I feel like I'm less likely to make the mistake of taking you for granted. Besides if you complimented my body or my love making activities all the time, then it might not turn me on so much, the rare times when you do actually do it."

Maria thought over his stated point of view and mused aloud, "Okay. That does make some kind of sense to me, I guess. Wait, so like, you're turned on, too?"

Michael's brow rose and he asked pointedly, "Are you naked in my arms right now?"

Maria batted her eyes at him coyly, pairing it with a flirty smile as she rubbed her leg against his provocatively and revealed, "Yes, very. Even my legs. Feel that?"

He nodded, kissed her on the lips once and informed her, "Then my being turned on is a given, even when you're sporting quills, by the way, so don't ever stress over that on my account."

Maria's face showed her pleased surprise at his claimed level of attraction to her and she vowed, "I'll keep that in mind.", and then she asked hopefully, "So I get the strongest feeling that you, uhh, wanna make love to me, now. How about it, spaceboy?"

Michael was already getting himself in a better position for making love, as he sought confirmation,"Will we be putting a big dent in the outstanding balance owing for missed time?"

Maria was adjusting her own position to better accomodate him, as well and she gave him the confirmation he was looking for, "Yes, or your girlfriend might get cranky and nobody wants that."

Michael moved against her until they were one and stated his double entendre, "Then I'm definitely in. What are you wearing, Maria?"

Maria moaned in pleasure and then mumbled, "I think we've already established that I'm naked."

Michael began moving his hips slowly, kissing and sucking the side of her neck on which he hadn't yet left his mark and trying to talk against her skin, "I mean that perfume smell."

Maria was matching his pace, digging her self-manicured fingernails into his shoulders and she asked petulantly, "Do you want me to go wash it off, already? I just put it on, Michael."

Michael kissed her lips, her jaw, her ear and emphasised with his hip movements as he objected, "No, don't wash it off, it smells really good."

Maria made her neck more accessible for his mouth, then moved one hand up the nape of his neck, delving her fingers into his hair, enjoying the novelty of his recent haircut and informed him, "Michael, it's the exact same fragrance that I wear all the time, including on New Year's Eve."

Michael paused his hip movements abruptly, then lifted his head from sucking her neck to argue, "That's not possible. That can't even be right. You always smell good like this, except for that one night."

Maria's passion filled eyes cleared briefly and she swatted his shoulder, as she asked incredulously, "Wait, you actually do like my perfume? Oh my God you sneak! You tricked me into wearing your shirt to bed! Perfume headache, my butt!"

Michael said "Ow!", then grabbed her violence prone hand and held it captive, as he resumed his hip movements. He didn't defend himself against her accusations right away, nor let go of her hand until she began responding to his lovemaking again. He looked her in the eye as they moved together and finally explained between kisses, "I can't help it that I like seeing you wear my shirts, as your sleep wear. You make them look really sexy, and then they smell like you after, too. I ran out of ones that still smell like you, when we were broken up. I think it's why I couldn't sleep properly for the past four nights. There was nothing familiar for me to sleep with to help me relax."

Suddenly, Maria's eyes widened and she halted Michael's kisses, with a very quiet but serious order, "Michael, you need to back away from me right now. Like right now."

He frowned in concern but he complied and then asked, "Did I say something bad? Was I hurting you or something? Why are you putting the brakes on right in the middle?"

Maria winced and quickly reached out to touch his face as she reassured, "You did nothing wrong, I promise. It's not that I want us to stop right now but we really have to. I should have never let you seduce me or I shouldn't have seduced you, frankly I can't remember now who started what, but it shouldn't have happened. Oh my God, how could I be this stupid and reckless?"

Michael rolled off of her and lay beside her, with his head propped on his palm and leaning his weight on his elbow. With his free hand, he cupped her face and asked in confusion, "What are you talking about? Now you don't want to be with me, after all?"

Maria turned her face to kiss his palm and assured him once again, "It's nothing like that, Michael. Look I don't know how to sugar coat this so I'm just going to say it. I am not now, nor have I been, on any birth control, for these past three months. I quit taking the pill after the last time we had sex. I thought it would make me have to think twice before jumping back into bed with you, if I didn't actually want us to get back together, because I saw that it hurt you getting your hopes up, like that."

Michael looked panic stricken even as he asked her to restate the obvious, "So you're telling me we just spent the better part of two hours having completely unprotected sex?"

Maria nodded and said the only words she could think of, even though she knew they sounded lame and ineffective, "I'm so sorry, Michael. I got caught up in our reunion and completely forgot until you just ment-"

Michael's jaw clenched and his eyes glowed with unconcealed anger, "Would you just shut-up! None of your explanations matter, now! How could you do this? I trusted you! How could you forget something so important? What the hell is wrong with you, Maria?"

Maria was alarmed by his outburst and she tried to calm him, "Michael! I didn't do it on purpose for God's sake! I'm human, okay? I forgot I went off the pill! It's not like this will wreck your life! If I wind up pregnant it's not like you're the one everyone will judge! My God, my Mom will have a whole herd of cattle if I have a kid without being married first!"

Michael got up, threw Maria's clothes at her and then began getting dressed himself as he vented, "What has marriage got to do with anything? Are you insane? Whatever, Maria, I changed my mind. I don't want to be with you, if I can't trust you. I can't make you not travel with us, but stay as far away from me as possible from now on! We are done!"

Maria was bewildered and tried to reason with him, "Come on, Michael, don't you think you're overreacting just a tad? I mean yeah if I'm pregnant that's definitely not ideal but it's hardly the end of the world, and I really don't think what just happened warrants the level of anger you're directing at me. We love each other, Michael. Whatever happens now we're gonna get through it together just like we always do."

Michael shook his head stubbornly and argued, "Not this time, Maria. We're over."

Maria watched him leave in complete stunned silence and then her tears started. She got dressed and went to find Liz.

Title: Finding Something BetterAuthor: FidomomDisclaimer: This is a work of fiction. It is only loosely based on characters from the tv series Roswell as I imagine they could be from different points throughout and beyond the three seasons of the show. I am not affiliated with any of the original creations nor creators from the series. I will make no monetary gains from publishing this work of fiction.Pairings/Couples/Category: Michael/Maria, Max/Liz AU with aliens, Rating: AdultSummary: Michael and Maria talk things over.Author's Note: For anyone wondering why Ava is included in this story. It's because of my head canon that lab techs on Antar put the wrong embryo with Max, Isabel & Michael and Ava was actually supposed to be their 4th; Tess should have been a part of the dupes as far as I'm concerned. No retcon of any closed case series events planned but anything not nailed down, I consider as fair game and open to possibly different explanations, interpretations or outcomes.

~FM

Finding Something Betterby Fidomom

Chapter Two

Maria winced as Liz's elbow connected with her side and Liz whispered urgently, "Talk to him, Maria! It's the only way to resolve it!"

Maria saw Michael look back at them from the rearview mirror, but he didn't maintain eye contact. Maria sighed and nodded as she answered Liz, "I know. I know you're right and I will, I just don't know when. Kind of prefer some privacy for that one.", and she gestured to the minivan they were traveling in, which was full to maximum capacity with people, supplies and bare essential belongings. Liz nodded conceding the existence of the indicated obstacle to Maria having that private conversation with Michael.

In just one week of traveling, a lot had already changed since leaving Roswell. Maria was waiting to find out if she was pregnant with Michael's child or not and Michael was still pissed at her that pregnancy was even a concern, at all. At Liz's behest, Isabel had dreamwalked Ava, to invite her to be with them, and Ava had accepted the invitation. They had picked her up two days earlier and only Liz, Isabel and Kyle had really made any effort to make Ava feel welcome.

The atmosphere in the cramped quarters was full of discomfort, awkward silences and tension born of fear for themselves and sadness for those they'd had to leave behind. Maria tried every trick she knew to stop herself from bursting into tears. She missed her Mom, and Michael was being so cold to her. She just didn't know how to end or diminish his continued angry silence.

Liz squeezed her hand and rested her head on Maria's shoulder in a show of comfort. Maria was startled from her thoughts by the sound of Michael's voice addressing Max, "We need to have a rest stop, Maxwell. Not a stupid ten minute one, either. Nobody in this van deserves to be cooped up in this thing for this long. I need to take a walk with my girlfriend. You should know what I'm talking about. Maria's too used to me neglecting her, but I imagine, your fiancee is feeling pretty bummed out not getting any time with you; this isn't like you and you know it."

And just like that Maria didn't feel like bursting into tears anymore. Her heart leapt in hopeful relief at his use of the word girlfriend in reference to her.

Max started to shake his head and he answered Michael but kept his eyes on the road, "Not yet, Michael. We aren't far enough away yet. We've already lost time picking Ava up.,

"Just to be clear, Ava, I do want you here with us, but it did mean a significant adjustment in our driving time to catch up to where we thought we'd be by now.,

"There's also the fact that every time we stop, Michael, we take another risk that we'll be spotted and captured or surreptitiously followed. I'm not stopping outside of our agreed upon schedule, any more. We just can't afford to lose more time, guys. I'm sorry.,

"And that apology is for all of you, by the way. I know things are pretty terrible right now, but we made a plan and I want to stick to it because I think it's a good plan. Please just try to be patient, everyone. Once we get to our first temporary destination, we can stay there for a few weeks before we have to get back on the road."

Maria's heart sank. She'd actually gotten her hopes up, thinking she might soon get some time alone with Michael to talk things through. She felt eyes on her in the mirror again and looked up to see Michael's concerned and full of remorse eyes on her. He mouthed to her, "I'm sorry."

Maria nodded to show him she believed him and accepted his apology. Then Michael surprised her by addressing Liz, "Hey, Science, wanna trade seats with me? Then we'll at least be beside the person we miss, all because of this stupid schedule."

Liz took Max's side, "But Max just said he's not stopping, yet."

Michael implored Max one more time, "Come on, Maxwell, a thirty second stop for musical seats isn't going to break our stride!"

Max snapped, "Okay. Fine. Switch with Liz, then."

Michael fake smiled at Max and said insincerely, "Thank-you, Maxwell, what a thoughtful gesture. So glad you declared yourself not our leader anymore."

Maria saw Max give Michael's retreating figure a brief glare but then his face lit up when Liz took Michael's place in the shotgun seat and he leaned over to quickly kiss Liz on the lips, before he put the still running vehicle back in drive. Maria couldn't bring herself to even look at Michael, even though at least now they were sort of touching. To her surprised and grateful relief, Michael put his arm around her and guided her head to his shoulder. She felt his lips press to her forehead in a sustained contact kiss, after which he whispered, "I love you, and I've got your back but talking will have to wait. Okay?"

Maria nodded with a wistful smile and touched Michael's chin. When he looked downward at her questioningly, she pointed to her puckered lips and he didn't even hesitate, but swooped in and kissed her properly. Not a making out kind of kiss but definitlely one that he meant, despite having been prompted to give it. When he lifted his face from hers, he suggested, "Now that you've got your alien-human hybrid travel pillow, why don't you take a nap?"

Maria had to laugh briefly at his description of himself but then he wasn't wrong, either, so she nodded and snuggled against him to take him up on it. She didn't think she'd sleep but the snuggle and chance to close her eyes were more than welcome ideas.

She was wrong about not sleeping. When she next opened her eyes it was because they had stopped for their scheduled rest stop, only she was alone with Michael in the minivan, so she knew they'd been stopped a few minutes, already. She lifted her head from Michael's shoulder and made a yuck face at the drool mark she'd left on his shirt. He noticed what she was looking at and he shrugged as he offered, "Don't even worry about that. Come on, Maria, I know you need a restroom by now."

At the mere mention of the word, Maria did indeed urgently need a restroom and she scrambled out after Michael as quickly as she could. There was a line-up outside the women's door, if you could call one person a line-up, the one person being Ava. Michael was holding Maria's hand as she waited behind Ava and Maria asked him, "So how long were we stopped for and why didn't you wake me up right away?"

Michael shrugged and answered, "Only a few minutes and I remembered from our hectic rest stop schedule this past week that you don't do well being abruptly woken up. I knew the lack of motion would wake you up more gently than me harassing you into being awake would have. It's no big deal, Maria. While you were asleep, Max and Liz had a chance to talk and she made him listen to reason, we get an actual hour and a half this time, so I saw no point in rushing you awake."

Maria was happily awed at his attentive demeanor toward her and she voiced her gratitude, "Thank-you, Michael. You don't have to wait with me, you know. Don't you need the restroom, too? Men's seems to be unoccupied."

In response, Michael threaded his fingers with hers, squeezed her hand and declined, "I can wait. I'll go when you do. Meantime, I'm exactly where I need to be. Right beside you."

Maria chanced repeating what he had said earlier, "Beside your girlfriend?"

Michael smiled up one side of his mouth and said, "Good. So you were paying attention. Yes and yes we will talk more about that on our walk, after this and after we get some grub to take with us."

Maria was impressed and asked for clarification, "So like a walk, a picnic and talking about our relationship issues? Just you and me?"

Michael nodded and confirmed, "Yes, yes, and yes but hopefully not just talking. I know it's only been a couple of days but I already miss you."

Maria teased him, "Oh I see, so I get girlfriend status again this fast because spaceboy needs nooky time?"

Michael made a face of denial and defended, "I didn't say anything about nooky, I was only thinking eraser room. We definitely don't have time for nooky, Maria. That will require ideally several days and nights in a row, and at worst a minimum of three hours, not less than two hours, which is all we get right now."

Maria gasped at his marathon sex suggestion and declared, "You are the devil, Michael Guerin. Why would you even mention that when you know we won't get to do that for three more sleeps?"

Michael laughed and gloated, "So you are still into it. These next three days can't go by fast enough for me. Oh and it looks like you're up!

"Hey, Shortstop.,

"I'll meet you in the store when you're done in there, Maria. We can grab our picnic supplies together.", and he quickly kissed her cheek and headed for the men's restroom.

"Did he just call me Shortstop?", Ava enquired cautiously.

Maria nodded and confirmed over her shoulder, "Yes. He nick names everyone except me, his girlfriend."

Once Maria was done in the restroom, she hurried into the store to find Michael and make her food selections before they went for their walk. Once they had their purchases, Michael took Maria's hand and led her away from the road and behind the rest stop. Maria asked, "So since you can't possibly know of a spot for us to have this private picnic, where are we going and how much time do we have left before Max expects us to get going again?"

Michael didn't pause or even slow his pace, as he answered, "Easy. We have exactly an hour. Probably need restroom breaks again just before we get back on the road, so that brings it to about fifty-five minutes. We walk as far away as we can for five minutes, we stop wherever we end up, we eat, probably take around fifteen minutes including leave no trace, that leaves us with thirty-five minutes, we talk but only about really important stuff and only for like ten minutes, that leaves us twenty-five minutes and we already know it'll take us five of those remaining minutes to go back, unless we run back."

Maria chuckled and queried, "So you think talking to me for a whole ten minutes, will get you a twenty minute make out session with me? I demand a minutes renegotiation."

Michael shook his head and declined, "No deal. Ten for talking and twenty for making out, we don't have the luxury of minutes to spare for just talking, besides I express myself better without words and you know that first hand."

Maria considered what he'd just said and had to mentally concede he had a point. She grudgingly agreed, "Fine. You'll get your twenty minutes, spaceboy."

He smiled at her for the first time in what seemed like forever ago to her and said, "Thanks, angel."

Maria stopped dead in her tracks and asked incredulously, "Pardon? What did you just call me?"

Michael looked at the travel alarm he was carrying, shrugged and said, "Okay four and a half minutes is good enough. We can do it all here."

Maria was still staring at him waiting for him to explain why he'd just called her a name other than Maria. When he got busy eating instead of answering, she began to scold, "Michael! You can't just ignore my question!"

Michael indicated the time on the travel alarm, which he'd set aside before beginning to eat and he spoke around a mouthful of food, "Talking is after eating, not time yet. Come on and eat up. Tight schedule."

Maria shook her head in exasperation and dug into her food. He finished before she did but he didn't push her to eat faster, he just folded his arms across his raised knees, rested his chin on his arms and watched her finish eating and tidying up after herself. It was making her feel self-conscious and she said as much, "Michael, you're staring. Stop it. Do I like have food on my face or something?"

He resolutely shook his head and refused her request, "Can't stop and no you couldn't look more perfect than you do right now, well, unless you were naked, so no there's no food on your face, Maria."

Maria gaped at him and then suddenly giggled in delight, "Oh my God, you are actually flirting with me while we're both fully clothed! Michael you have not flirted with me while still dressed in so long I forgot what it even looks like or sounds like or feels like. This is so unexpected!"

Michael didn't deny it and instead offered in explanation, "That's why I needed to go for a walk with you. Alone time with you works wonders. I heard what you said to Shortstop earlier and I realised it's true. It was never intentional, I just could never think of anything that fit you as well as or better than Maria until you called me a devil in the shower the other dayand then you called me a devil again a little while ago. I had to be sure the nickname I was considering for you, fit you, so I gave it a test drive and I was right. Angel fits almost as well as Maria. Not only is it the opposite of my devilish tendencies but it matches pretty good with spaceboy, too; both from somewhere up there or out there."

Maria suddenly gasped and asked, "Wait, this is talking time? You said only important stuff and this is your chosen topic? Not the maybe baby situation? Not what changed your hostile attitude toward me?"

Michael nodded and elaborated, "I talked to Max and he made me realise I was freaking out over possibility not fact; there is no baby yet. If that happens then we'll talk about it and deal with it, then. As you said, if there is a baby, we'll get through it together, like we have always gotten through everything. The nickname thing, though, is important to me because you are important to me, and I want you to know how I really see you.

You have literally been my angel of mercy more times than I deserved. You definitely have the patience of saints and angels to have put up with me all this time and yet you made me feel like you thought I was the one making some sort of huge compromise or sacrifice to be in a relationship with you. My only sacrifice in being with you, Maria is that I'm constantly terrified of the danger you're in because of me. Sometimes I even think I pose the biggest threat to you of all, even moreso than my enemies.

Every time I've ever hurt you, I was in agony over it, including the awful things I said the other day when I found out we'd just had unprotected sex. For what it's worth, I am sorry and I do take it back. I still want us to be together. I'm always going to dread the very idea of anything bad ever happening to you, especially if it's only because you love me. Being with you makes me the happiest I've ever been, though, and so being with you isn't and never has been a chore. I love you even when I'm pissed or hurt or worried. I need you to know that. Always.

Just three weeks ago I did try to say goodbye to you, for what I thought, at the time, was forever, because I thought my terror for you was outweighing whatever happiness I felt, by staying in your life, in whatever capacity you were letting me. I tried to do right by you, by letting you go and leaving but I discovered a few things in doing that. One was that my terror for you did not disappear, if anything it was worse because then I couldn't see for myself, any more, that you were safe and happy and two I don't handle terror without you, very well, at all.

I've always believed I was stronger and better off alone. Maybe when I didn't know what it was like to not be alone that may have been true but I wasn't at all prepared for the loneliness of being without you. I missed my other half. I was missing my guardian angel here on earth. You, Maria.

Some of the guys I knew from work, resented their significant others fussing over them, nagging at them to eat, sleep, bathe, pay bills and what not but when you weren't there doing that for me anymore, I finally understood the motive behind it. I suddenly realised I used to have someone who cared if I did any of those things or not, definitely not talking about Hank, and if I'd ever felt resentment about it before, that realisation made it disappear. I had everything I ever needed or wanted being with you and without you I am nothing, I merely survive and exist. I really do want us back. I want to really live again and I finally believe that I can only do that with you.

When I told Max you were my girlfriend earlier, I wasn't sure if you still wanted that to be true or not, or maybe even if you already considered it to be true, because what the hell is an ex-spaceboy, right? No such thing according to you.

Anyway, after I said it out loud, I was waiting to see if you would object to it or correct me and when you did neither, I couldn't get close enough to you, fast enough, for my liking.

And you know, after telling you goodbye forever, and leaving you, I had really thought I'd burned a bridge with you, so when I came back during graduation, I didn't think I had any business approaching you with all of my regrets. I thought my heart would explode right in my chest when you said you were coming with us and then you put your arms around me like we were still an us.

I was kind of in shock, I mean, you had broken up with me and wouldn't take me back no matter how much I begged and then I told you goodbye forever and yet somehow you still not only chose to come with us, I assumed to stay close to Liz, but then you put your arms around me and declared we were doing this together. That qualified as a bonafide miracle to me.

At this point I'm pretty much convinced you have to be an angel because no mere mortal woman could still want anything to do with me after all of this stupidity and my stubborness and mistake after mistake that I keep making. The thing is, my stubborness works the other way, too; I am so stubbornly in love with you, Maria DeLuca, and if you take me back, this time, if you let me stay in your life, I promise you, I'll never try to leave you ever again. All of my tomorrows belong to you because I belong to you and that is all I'm ever gonna need. If you aren't ready for that, I won't push you, but I'm also never going to give up on you, ever again, either."

Maria wiped moisture from her face and hedged, "So all of your tomorrows, that's like way longer than only promising me right now?"

Michael agreed earnestly, "Yeah. Definitely an upgrade from only now. I'm going to be someone you can count on not only now but also tomorrow, every single day of our life together, moving forward."

Maria continued seeking clarification, "And we really are back together? I have nagging rights, again?"

Michael choked up a little and laughed over it, "Yeah, angel, definitely."

Maria then tried to help lighten things up, by flirtatiously admonishing, "You do know I'm not actually an angel, though, right?"

Michael's face turned serious and he shook his head in disagreement, "I'll never believe you are anything except that, now. It only makes sense in my head if we're both other worldly beings. Nothing else could explain to me how you are here with me, right now, especially after the way I overreacted the other day and lashed out at you. But if the word angel makes you uncomfortable I'll just stick to calling you Maria."

Maria frowned and pouted a little, "You can't finally give me a nickname and then take it away from me, Michael. That's just mean."

Michael moved as close as he could get to her and kissed her forehead, then asked, "So then it's okay if I call you angel, sometimes, after all? What about in front of other people?"

Maria grinned suddenly and played along, "Well, since I basically out you, every single time I call you spaceboy in front of other people, turnabout is only fair play. I mean they're just nicknames right? It's not like anyone will ever suspect the truth, just because of a nickname."

Michael grinned triumphantly and agreed, "Exactly. Now are we gonna make out or are you not feeling that way about me, right now, because of my behaviour the other day?"

Maria tackled him, pinned him to the ground and kissed him on the lips. Then she looked him in the eye and ordered, "You are not taking that part of the minutes negotiation back. I get my twenty minutes, spaceboy."

Michael suddenly rolled them both over, kissed her, and admitted, "I was hoping you'd see it my way and say that. Also, this is like a promissory note; a raincheck, our real reunion will resume next scheduled motel overnight, with condoms this time, though. Two consecutive nights. Thanks to your girl, Science, talking some sense into my fearless ex-leader. If you want, I mean."

Maria tightened her arms around the back of Michael's neck and wrapped her legs around him. She spoke against his lips between kisses, "We both know that even though I hate condoms, I'm so all about massive want when it comes to reunion sex marathons with you, and about this and especially when it comes to just simply you. I love you, Michael. Even though I am the only witness to all of the precious things you just said to me, your words are as sacred as vows to me and I'm going to hold you to every last one. Got it?"

Michael nodded his head and also spoke between their mutual kisses, "Got it, but you won't have to because all I have to do is love you and the rest will just happen because of that one simple fact. I'm still all yours and only yours, angel. I always will be. I am, after all, genetically engineered for loyalty; pretty sure angels trump even royal aliens, in supremacy. Even if they don't, though, I'd still choose you, anyway. Way better benefits package."

Maria held his face between her hands and looked him in the eye as she confessed, "I already know you chose me over them. I got scared by what that meant, at the time, but it was a very big deal to me and it still is. I'm not afraid of what it means anymore. You stayed for me. For me. For love. I accept responsibility for your heart now, Michael. I'm going to make sure you never regret choosing us. Your most vulnerable self is forever safe with me, spaceboy, I promise. I've got you now and you'll never be alone again."

Michael was clearly fighting tears and his voice shook as he tried to joke his emotional response away, "See? I knew you were my very own angel. I love you, so much, Maria."

"I love you, too, Michael. More kissing please.", she whispered, touching her forehead to his and closing her eyes against her own threatening liquid emotion.

He answered her by honouring her request and giving her the entirety of the beautiful universe inside of him, for two minutes longer than they'd planned on. They had to run back to have enough time to use the restrooms again before continuing on the journey they'd chosen to embark on together.

Title: Finding Something BetterAuthor: FidomomDisclaimer: This is a work of fiction. It is only loosely based on characters from the tv series Roswell as I imagine they could be from different points throughout and beyond the three seasons of the show. I am not affiliated with any of the original creations nor creators from the series. I will make no monetary gains from publishing this work of fiction.Pairings/Couples/Category: Michael/Maria, Max/Liz AU with aliens,Rating: AdultSummary: Ava is getting used to the group dynamics with some helpful insights from Kyle.

Finding Something Betterby Fidomom

Chapter Three

On their tenth day of traveling, Max pulled up to the motel that they'd chosen off the map for their second overnight stop over. There was initially dead silence as everyone saw where they'd be staying overnight. Nobody moved to get out of the van and go get a room.

Kyle and Isabel finally said nearly in unison, "No way."

Liz looked at Max and asked in concern, "Did we take a wrong turn? I know I fell asleep for a bit but ... ?"

Michael said in wonder, "Hey, Maria, that looks just like ..."

Maria interrupted him but finished his sentence, "It looks like the exact same nooky motel, Michael."

Ava asked Liz quietly, "What is everyone reacting to, exactly?"

Liz smiled reassuringly at her and answered, "There's a motel that looks a lot like this one on two eighty-five south between Roswell, New Mexico and Marathon, Texas and we were all there together."

Ava's brow rose and she asked for clarification, "All of you? Like together together?"

Liz realised how it sounded and she quickly corrected Ava's interpretation, "No! I mean yeah but not, you know, for that! We just somehow all wound up there and had an impromptu meeting in one of the rooms there about how to find Nasedo before we knew anything about where you all come from or anything."

Michael announced without waiting for Ava to digest the history lesson, "I'm sick of this van and everyone in it; except for you, Maria. I'm outta here and I'm calling the porno version of Aladdin suite, for me and Maria. Ow! What? Did you want someone else to get it, ... ,,honey'' ?", he teased.

Maria was blushing but she conceded, "Well, no. But still, you didn't have to say it like that, in front of everyone, Michael."

Isabel huffed loudly and said, "If you hadn't smacked him, Maria, I was about to. Will you please, please, please take him into whatever room he is on about, and just do whatever it is you do that makes him tolerable to the rest of us because I'm so done with his pissy mood and his snarky attitude!"

Maria blinked at her, obviously baffled, "What are you talking about, Isabel? Michael's been pretty much a ray of sunshine the whole trip, so far."

Max muttered,"Only to you."

Liz concurred, "To you, maybe."

Isabel narrowed her eyes, smiled without humour and stated, "Just to you."

Kyle initially laughed and then sobered as he said, "Oh, you were actually serious? Not so much, Maria."

Ava hedged carefully, as she offered, "I thought he was okay, you know, compared to Rath, but ray of sunshine might be pushing it, more than a little."

Michael looked at Maria and didn't deny their assessments, "Told you, angel. Yeah relax, guys, we're going. By the time we get back on the road, I should be returned to just my usual irritated self and it'll probably last for at least a couple days, before I'm back to this again. Come on, angel, let's book. You and I have a hot date."

Maria sprang into action and agreed with Michael, "God, yes. Bye guys!, "Liz, if we forget to put out our do not disturb sign can you do it for us, please!?", and then Michael was already half dragging her away.

Liz called out to Maria's disappearing back, "Yes, Maria, I will! Have a good sleep!"

Kyle chuckled and asked Liz pointedly, "You do know they won't be doing much sleeping, right?"

Liz sighed in exasperation and retorted, "Well, yes, of course I do, Kyle, but it's hardly appropriate if I yell out in public to my best friend, have great marathon sex, all night!"

Max leaned toward Liz and suggested to her, "Come on Liz, let's run for it! Someone is gonna get stuck in the room beside theirs, and I'd rather it not be us!"

Liz acted quickly and ran with Max.

Isabel shouted after them, "I swear to God, Max, if I get stuck in the room next to them, there will be hell to pay! I need real sleep!"

Ava said to Kyle somewhat concerned, "They all seem a bit tightly wound. Is that normal? And why is everyone trying to avoid being next to Michael's and Maria's room?"

Kyle smiled at Ava and warned her, "Oh, you are in for such a treat, getting to know them all, as well as I wish I didn't. The short story is, noise, Ava. Lots of it. All night. Very loud. Continuous. Impossible to sleep through."

Ava grinned back at him appreciatively and then offered, "Well, I don't mind taking the room next to theirs, Kyle. Sleeping on the streets in the Big Apple you kind of have to learn to tune out most of the noise unless it pertains to your own immediate personal safety, you know?"

Kyle shook his head and admitted, "Can't say, I do, no, but you being willing to take one for the team, as it were, will go a long way toward you becoming one of their favourite people."

Ava smiled her gratitude for his vote of confidence in her and she said, "Thanks, Kyle. But wait, if I take the room next to theirs, and Isabel is beside me, Liz and Max are next to her, and the other three remaining rooms look occupied already, then that leaves no room for you? Where are you gonna sleep?"

Kyle shrugged without losing his smile and answered her, "I can crash in the van but I would really like to use your shower tomorrow morning, would you mind?"

Ava looked concerned and she lamented sympathetically, "You're sleeping In the van, again? Kyle that's so not fair to you. Why should we all get beds tonight, except for you?"

Kyle shrugged and patted her shoulder as he accepted his fate, "Thanks, but don't worry about me. It's simply a matter of the van being the lesser of two evils. I could send you to bunk with Isabel which was the original plan and I could take the second noisiest room in the whole place; the first being the one from which the noise will actually be emanating or I could just sleep uncomfortably, possibly chillingly in the much quieter van. I'm gonna go with the peace and quiet over comfort on this one. Hopefully next scheduled overnight motel stay has enough rooms for all of us, though, because sleeping in an actual bed, at some point, would be fantastic!"

Ava nodded in understanding but offered, "Okay, well if you change your mind about the van, you can just come on in; we could even share the bed without it becoming weird or anything. Anyway, I won't lock the door because if you knock I won't hear it and I sleep fully clothed so it'll be fine for you to just come in. Of course you're welcome to just use the shower, too, if that's all you want to do."

Kyle declined graciously, "I appreciate that, Ava, thanks, but I think I'll do okay in the van. I am definitely all about taking that shower in the morning, though, so I'll probably pop in around dawn, just a heads up."

Ava nodded and accepted that as his final answer, "Okay, no problem, Kyle. I probably won't even hear you. Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight, Ava. Hope you're right and you really can tune them out and get some real sleep.", Kyle said and then he set about turning one of the van benches into a makeshift cot for himself.

*****

Michael and Maria looked around the room they had picked for the night. Maria noted, "Different colours."

Michael nodded, pointed to the handy bowl of condoms and the coin operated vibrator built into the bed and he approved, "Better features."

Maria sniffed the air and conceded, "Cleaner. So that's good."

Michael asked Maria, "Shower now or after?"

Maria pushed him onto the bed and answered, "You are not taking a shower yet, but I am."

Michael scowled and said, "So what if it washes away the smell of me, I can work up a fresh sweat right after, for you."

Maria smiled at him warningly and said, "You can't work up any sweat, if I'm not turned on first. Still want that shower, spaceboy?"

Michael groaned in frustration and flopped backward on the bed hiding his eyes in the crook of his elbow. He conceded to Maria's wishes, "Fine but don't be in there all night. This Space Boy is cranky and you are the only cure."

Maria patted his knee consolingly on her way by and assured him, "This angel isn't exactly feeling angelic either; just going in for a quick rinse. Promise. I'll be right back. You can get mostly undressed but I get to take off your shirt."

Michael sat up slightly, leaning back on his elbows as he looked Maria up and down and mused, "I don't know if I want you walking out of there naked because that means no more delays or wearing a towel because then it will feel like I have an extra birthday gift I get to unwrap."

Maria smiled flirtatiously at him and declared, "Oh, I will be wearing a towel, if only because I like your behaviour better when I make you put a little bit of effort in."

Michael shrugged and said, "Works for me, either way. You want me ready to go as soon as you come out of there or do you want to do the honours?"

Maria sucked in a breath and bit her bottom lip before answering, "I'll do the honours next round. Just be ready for me this time, okay?"

Michael gave her a thumb up, then he got up from the bed and not trusting the provided condoms in the bowl, he grabbed a handful of condoms from his back pack, instead. As soon as Maria had disappeared behind the locked bathroom door, he stripped off all of his clothes, except for his shirt and then listened for Maria to turn off the shower. He'd been hard from the moment she'd patted his knee and he had a condom ready to roll onto his erection, as soon as he couldn't hear the shower anymore.

Five minutes later, Maria had barely taken two steps outside of the bathroom, when Michael pulled her into his embrace and kissed her deeply. Maria gripped his shoulders and kissed him back, leaning into him. Her hands grew restless, fisting his shirt and she made a frustrated impatient sound, to which Michael responded by breaking their kiss and he lifted his arms up so Maria could take his shirt off. She was mesmerised as she appreciated his naked body out loud, "Oh, Michael, you may look good in nice clothes but nothing you wear ever beats this. This, all of this, is just so damned fine! No wonder I want you all the freaking time!"

Michael basked in her praise for a few seconds and then he said, "I'm right here, have what you want. Me? I need the towel gone, Maria. Can I rip it off your body now?"

Maria halted his impatient hands and requested, "No, not just yet. I want to already be riding you when you unwrap me. Okay?"

Michael reached for the backs of her thighs but paused before lifting her up in his arms to confirm, "Now?"

Even as he obliged her, he asked her, "Are you fetshizing my penis, right now?"

Maria admitted unabashedly, "Damn skippy, spaceboy!"

He thrust extra hard, yanked off her towel and said, "Good. I approve. In that case you can ride my alien dick all night long, my sassy lil angel!"

Maria nipped at his bottom lip and teased, "Like there was ever a question, I wouldn't be?"

Michael nipped back and complained, "It wouldn't kill you to let me keep some of my dignity. Whatever. I don't need dignity; just need you. Naked like this. All night long. Preferably screaming my name.", and he began ravishing her neck and breasts.

Maria moaned in his ear and gasped out, "Oh, I'll definitely be holding you to that, spaceboy!"

*****

Kyle was just in that sweet spot between waking and dreaming when, the van door opened loudly and he was jolted from the edges of dreamland by a loud exclamation, "Ahhh! Kyle, what are you doing out here?"

Kyle muttered under his breath, "Well, I was almost asleep.", and then he greeted his interruption, "Hey, Isabel. Just trying to stack some z's."

Isabel frowned at him in puzzlement and stated, "Okay, but why are you sleeping in the van? We're at a motel for a reason."

Kyle shrugged and said, "There's no room at the inn, apparently. Ava took the unwanted room beside Heckle and Scream Queen and I opted for this. Even if Ava had bunked with you, I still would have picked this, over that."

Isabel tutted in irritation, "Well, I'm not letting you sleep out here. You can bunk with me. I trust you, Kyle. We've slept together before."

Kyle felt his face get hot and he was glad it was dark. "Excuse me?", he stammered.

Isabel smiled brightly at him, "Rudolph's Shiny New Year! Remember?"

Kyle's shoulders sagged in relief and he confirmed,"Oh. Right. That. I appreciate the offer, Isabel, but really, I'm fine out here. It's dark, it's quiet, well, it was. And Ava already said she'd let me use her shower before we leave in the morning. Everything is fine, Isabel. What brought you back out here, though?"

Isabel made a moue of self-recrimination and complained,"Oh. Well, I forgot my shower stuff in my hurry to not get stuck with that unwanted room. And Kyle? I think you misunderstood me, just now."

Kyle's eyes widened guilelessly and he prompted, "About?"

Isabel fixed her steely gaze on him and elaborated menacingly, "It wasn't merely an offer. Get your stubborn butt out of the van and march yourself to my room. Don't make me repeat myself. You know what I'm capable of. Moreso in the mood I'm in."

Kyle scrambled off the van bench and started gathering his things as he conceded to compliance, "Okay, okay geez, just leave the 'nads intact, huh?"

Isabel looked hurt and she said contritely, "I would never do that to you."

Kyle smiled kindly and admitted, "Sorry, Isabel, I was kidding. I do actually know that. Thanks for the van rescue."

Isabel smiled slightly and they walked in comfortable silence to her motel room.

Once inside, Kyle started to put his things on the floor at the foot of the bed, as he reiterated, "Thanks, again, Isabel. Floor's still probably more comfortable than the van."

Isabel laughed at him and corrected, "No, not the floor, dummy. Why would I make you leave padded accomodations for a hard floor? You'll sleep in the bed with me. Period."

Kyle put up surrender hands and backed away slightly as he argued, "That's just highly inappropriate. You're a married woman and more specifically not married to me.", and then he belatedly hoped she hadn't detected his bitterness about that fact.

Isabel waved her hand dismissively and insisted, "Oh, don't be ridiculous! Jesse trusts you, too. It's fine, Kyle. Please can you just stop being difficult? I need sleep! Badly! Now just come to bed, already."

Kyle pursed his lips and did as he was told with verbal acknowledgement, "Ma'am, yes, ma'am."

Isabel gave him a sympathetic smile and offered, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bark at you, Kyle. I'm just sleep deprived."

Kyle smiled at her reassuringly and maintained, "I'm a tough cookie. Already over it. Goodnight, Isabel."

Isabel kissed his cheek, smiled, said, "Goodnight, Kyle.", then she turned out the lamp, rolled over and settled in to fall asleep.

Kyle said, "Goodnight, Isabel." and then he lay in the dark forcing himself to count his blessings until he drifted off to sleep, too.

*****

Max and Liz were feeling something akin to first date awkwardness, finally being alone together without the rest of their crew and little to no chance they'd be interrupted.

Max indicated the door to the bathroom and asked Liz, "You want to shower first?"

Liz licked her lips nervously and answered, "No. Max?"

Max looked into her eyes longingly and encouraged her to continue, "Yeah?"

Liz's eyes strayed from his to travel up and down his body and she suggested distractedly, "I was hoping we'd shower, you know, at the same time. Would that be okay with you?"

Max's eyes darkened and he stared at her lips as she spoke. He concurred, "Yes, that, that would be more than okay with me, Liz."

Liz started to strip as she rambled, "Great. Because, you know, I've been looking forward to tonight, as much as Michael and Maria were. I really miss touching you, Max. And you know showering at the same time, it saves time."

Max started to strip, too and he agreed with her rambles, "Right. And water. I miss touching you, too."

Liz was naked yet somehow less nervous. She pointed toward the bathroom, as she suggested, "Then, in the interest of time, we should probably take that shower right away. Plus, then we won't have to miss each other, like at all, anymore. And Max? We'll probably need condoms."

Max had started advancing toward her but stopped in his tracks with the reminder. He assured her, "Yes. Just hang on, I'll grab them.", and he rummaged in his overnight bag for them.

Upon finding them he walked directly to Liz and handed them to her. She accepted them with a smile of anticipation and then she exclaimed, "Max! Oh wow! Why are you carrying me? I can walk you know!"

Max grinned at her with a twinkle in his eye as he countered, "Sure, but why would I let you do that and miss the opportunity to hold your naked body against mine? Plus it's good practice for me, since we're getting married, in exactly one week. There will be a threshold at some point, thereafter."

Liz smiled appreciatively and admitted, "I can find no fault in your logic. I think I'd like our shower just cool enough not to scald."

Max kissed her on the lips briefly and agreed, "Me too. In the interest of time, we should probably get clean first before we get ... distracted by other interests we might have."

Liz nodded and agreed unconvincingly, "Yeah. Totally."

Max set her back on her feet beside the tub, directly in front of him, turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature. He motioned for Liz to test the temperature, as well. She put her hand in the spray, standing belly to belly with him and then nodded at him, in approval.

He took the condoms from her hand, set them on the tub edge, held her hand as she stepped over the side and then he joined her under the hot spray.

Max rested his hands on her hips and gently turned with her in front of the spray as he explained,"If we stand sideways we can share the water until we're wet enough for lathering."

Liz announced quietly, "I'm wet enough, already, Max."

Max's eyes darkened, not missing the meaning in her eyes. He suggested, "Great. You can lather up out of the spray and I'll quickly wash my hair. Then I'll get lathered up while you wash your hair and rinse off. Then after I'm rinsed off, I can get out and go make our room a little more inviting and you can have the shower to yourself to uhh do anything you might want to do privately."

Liz smiled in amusement, indicated the condoms on the side of the tub, then she picked one up and lamented to him, "Seems such a shame to have brought these in here for nothing, if we go with your plan."

Max swallowed, nodded and agreed, "That's an excellent point. What do you think we should do?"

Liz slowly slid her forefinger from his navel, down his happy trail, stopped just short of his groin and suggested, "You know. Since you're umm ..."

Liz smiled and admitted,"Thank-you but I was actually thinking you're the one who looks so beautiful. God, Max, your body is just so perfect."

Max cupped her face in one hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb, as he echoed her compliment back to her, "So are you."

Liz closed her eyes briefly and leaned into his hand on her face. She opened her eyes and voiced her desire, "I'd rather wash after, Max, if it's all the same to you. I'm not feeling very patient, to be perfectly honest."

Max grinned, chuckled lightly, clearly relieved, as he admitted, "I didn't want to be the one to admit that first. I just didn't want to rush you or pressure you. I want you so bad, Liz. Let's definitely wash later.", and he pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply, as his hands sought out all the places he knew she loved to be touched.

Liz hastily sheathed his erection in a condom, as they made out and then her hands roamed over her man's muscular, beautiful body. By unspoken agreement on the timing, Max gripped the backs of her thighs and she mounted him impatiently.

They kissed unceasingly until the pleasure got to be too intense for Liz and she broke from his mouth to shout in ecstasy, "Oh God, Max! I forgot how good this feels! Yes. Yes, Max! Oh God, Max! Oh God Max, yesssssss!"

Hearing Liz's vocalizations had an immediate effect on Max and he yelled a few of his own,"I love you so much, Liz! Sexy, perfect, beautiful, Liz. My love oh my love! You feel so incredible!"

Liz let loose a final litany as she trembled and writhed in the throes of her orgasm, "Max! Max! Oh please! Oh God Max! Max! Oh Max yes! I love you, Max!"

*****

In the room beside Max and Liz, Kyle and Isabel were wide awake and unable to unhear what was happening next door. Isabel complained bitterly, "Unbelievable! There's no escape from it, is there?"

Kyle suggested lamely, "We could go back to the van?"

Isabel huffed irritably and complained, "No! And I shouldn't have to! I just need a decent night's sleep and I don't think I'm being unreasonable in wanting that!"

Kyle looked at her shape in the dark and said warily, "I'm gonna risk life and limb and ask you a personal question, which is kind of out of character for me but then again, this is not you either, Isabel."

Isabel turned toward him and asked, "Okay, what is it, Kyle?"

Kyle braced for her answer as he asked, "Are you by any chance horny and missing your husband?"

Kyle said contritely, "Dumb question in hindsight. I just, well, I thought it might make you feel better to just admit it out loud. I'm here to listen if you want to keep venting or if you just need a friend to be with in silence to not feel so alone."

Isabel snuffled slightly and confessed, "I miss him so much, Kyle! And not just because of sex but that, too! And Max and Michael acting like they are so deprived between our overnights, when they get to have their special person with them this whole time and mine is so far away he may as well be on another planet and I don't know when or if I'm ever gonna see him again! And I miss my Mom and I just feel so incredibly miserable and alone!"

Kyle was quiet for several seconds, in case she had more to say and then he offered quietly, "It's nowhere near the same thing, since I didn't leave behind a significant other but I can definitely relate to missing family. The thought that I don't know if or when I might ever see my Dad again, scares me. I almost feel orphaned right now, you know?"

Isabel snuffled a bit more and then spoke haltingly, "Thanks for not taking my terrible mood personally, Kyle; for understanding the real reason for it. It actually does help to have you here with me. I hate sleeping alone but I guess I'll have to get used to it, again. Eventually, but at least not tonight, thanks to you."

Kyle smiled forlornly in the dark and said, "I'm glad you rescued me from the van, too, Isabel. Thanks. You should probably try to get some rest. I can help you block the sounds from next door, if you want."

Isabel asked with desperate hope, "You can? Really? How?"

Kyle suggested, "Come here and snuggle against me. I promise I'm not getting fresh with my married lady friend. Just come here."

To Kyle's surprise she did so without hesitation. He smoothed her hair away from her ear and further suggested, "Okay now put your ear to my chest. Close your eyes and I will cover your other ear with my hand. Can you still hear them?"

Isabel let out a short giggle and exclaimed in delight, "No! I really can't! Are they even still going at it?"

Kyle lamented, "Oh yeah."

Isabel sympathised with him, "Oh, so then what about you, Kyle? You need sleep, too."

Kyle shrugged and assured her, "I'll be fine. Max and Liz are too wise to stay up all night making that kind of noise. I'll be able to sleep once they quiet down."

Isabel snuggled closer and said happily, "Thank-you so much, Kyle. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kyle patted her back briefly with his free hand and he asserted, "You'd do just fine but I'm glad you don't have to. I'm here for you, for the foreseeable future. Goodnight, Isabel."

Isabel sighed in contentment and bid back to him, "Okay. Goodnight, Kyle."

*****

Michael woke himself trying to stretch in his sleep, only to find his arm was trapped underneath Maria's body. He whispered in her ear, "Angel, you awake? Maria? Maria?"

Maria smiled slightly in her sleep and snuggled closer to him mumbling, "Mmmmm, love you so much, spaceboy."

Michael looked at her in adoration, with a smile on his lips and he commented quietly, "Yeah, I know you do. Even mushy in your sleep, huh. You make me feel mushy, too when you're relaxed in my arms like this. I wish you understood what you mean to me. Man, I really want to wake you up but I also don't want to. You're so damn beautiful, Maria."

Maria's eyes opened and she caught him staring at her. She asked in sudden alarm, "Michael? What's going on? What time is it? Oh God did we oversleep?"

Michael caressed her hair and assured her, "No. We were only out about two and a half hours. You still tired?"

Maria stretched, yawned, rubbed at her eyes briefly and admitted, "Yes, but I'm still horny and definitely I'm more horny than I am tired. You?"

Michael chuckled and also admitted, "Same. Have I ever mentioned how much I appreciate your honesty?"

Maria sat up suddenly, grabbed a condom and noting with delight that Michael was ready, she put it on him and ordered, "You have a promise to keep. Here, you're gonna need this. Let's get busy, we've already lost a big chunk of the time we had."

Michael pulled her on top of him, helping her mount him quickly and he gasped in pleasure, "God, I love you."

Maria ground down hard on him and exclaimed, "I told you, Michael, I just want to ride your alien dick all night long! God, this feels so freaking good!"

Michael had one hand on her hip while his other hand roamed all over her body. He watched her with lustful eyes and declared, "I have zero objections. You want to ride my alien dick, all night, you go right ahead. I love that my girlfriend is such an insatiable angel!"

Maria nodded, bit her lower lip and thrust her breasts against his exploring hand. She confirmed his assessment, "Oh, you better believe it, spaceboy! I'll never get enough of you and the things you do to me! Oh, God, yes, yes! Oh Michael! God, you feeel so good! Son of a - spaceboy, please, I need you in deeper! Slam into me! Yes, yes, yes! Harder, Michael! Harder!"

Michael was thrusting his hips up into her every grind down. He praised as he watched her, "Oh, Maria, the way you move! The way you grind! Oh yeah that's it angel! Oh yeah Maria! Tell me when to really take over! I'm gonna take you for the hardest ride of your life!"

Mari nodded, her eyes closing in ecstasy and she insisted, "Now, Michael, now! Make me feel everything! Give it to me hard and deep, spaceboy!"

"You got it.", Michael said and he put his other hand on her hip, as well, to pull her down forcefully into his every thrust upward, at a much faster pace than she'd been riding him on her own.

Michael gave in to her demands and ejaculated, sitting up partially from the force of it as he yelled out, "MARIA! Oh angel, I love you! I love you, Maria!"

Maria collapsed on his chest breathing hard. He kissed her forehead and she kissed his chest, then she carefully unmounted so he could remove the filled condom. As soon as disposed of it, he gathered her against his side and they both just lay there in silence catching their breaths for a few minutes.

Maria broke the silence first and said in awe, "Wow, Michael. Just, wow. That, that. Wow."

Michael chuckled and caressed her shoulder and upper arm as he flirted, "It must have been good for you if you're running out of words!"

Maria nodded and suggested, "Best sex we've ever had."

Michael frowned and asked, "That's saying a lot; we've never had bad sex. You sure this time tops all the other times, even earlier before our nap?"

Maria continued to insist, "Oh yeah. By a landslide. I've never felt like that before, ever. And I agree with you; I've had no complaints about our sex life so far but now. Damn, Michael how are we ever going to even match that, nevermind improve on it? That was just just -"

Maria lifted her head, lightly hit his chest with her open palm and admonished, "Oh hell no! Don't you even joke about that. We had a deal."

Michael laughed, grabbing her hand on his chest and he confessed, "Okay, good because I don't feel like we're done yet, either. Now if my body would just catch up to my mind because I'm already thinking about all the ways I still wanna give it to you, but junior here needs more time, apparently."

Maria lifted her head again, looked him in the eye with one brow raised and informed him,"Oh I'm not waiting for junior, Michael. Your fingers are not broken and your tongue obviously works well enough for words but I can think of several other better uses for that, too. Time for this saint levels of patience angel to get some just rewards. Time for you to get busy with me, spaceboy."

Michael blinked at her, his mouth opened slightly and then he said, "I love you always, Maria but especially when you're both horny and sassy. Guess I'm going diving."

Maria smiled tightly at him and confirmed, "Oh you bet your sweet spicy ass you are."

Michael hurried to position himself between Maria's legs but addressed her before beginning, "Maria?"

Maria looked down her body at him and asked impatiently, "What?"

Michael grinned lasciviously and advised her, "Don't hold back. You at top volume is what will wake junior up. Pull my hair as hard as you need to, too. Just saying."

Maria smiled back and admitted, "If memory serves, it's impossible for me to hold back or be gentle when you do the things you do to me."

He spread her labia open with his thumbs, licked all the way up just once winked at her and said, "I'm counting on that. Hey."

Maria writhed impatiently and whimpered her answer, "Hmm?"

Michael teased her clit with the tip of his tongue until it swelled then he said without taking his eyes off of it, "I love you. And I'm just as obsessed with all of your sexy bits, as you are with my penis. Just saying.", and he resumed licking, tasting and exploring her wth his mouth.

Maria's reply was cut short, "That's not news and I love you t- oh God, Michael! Son of a - oh hell yes!"

*****

Liz sat straight up in bed and screamed, "Charlie!"

Max sat up, too and put an arm around her, in alarmed concern as he asked, "Liz, are you okay? Who is Charlie?"

Liz blinked at him in confusion as she asked, "What? Max? Is it time to go already?"

Max shook his head and assured her, "No, we've got lots of time yet, before we have to go. You just sat straight up and yelled Charlie. Who is Charlie?"

Liz looked baffled and confirmed it, "I did? I have no idea, Max. I don't think I even know anyone named Charlie. Certainly not well enough to be calling his name in my sleep. How weird."

Max nodded, accepting her answer and then he asked again, "Are you okay, though?"

Liz kissed him on the lips reassuringly and answered, "Yeah, Max. I'm fine."

Max stole a lingering kiss then and asked, "So are you uh going back to sleep, now?"

Liz smiled and laced her fingers with his as she flirted, "Unless you have a better offer?"

Max stated solemnly, "We still have condoms left over."

Liz pretended to be scandalised as she asked, "Max! Are you suggesting we have sex again?"

Max nodded and answered,"Yes. Are you not interested?"

Liz shook her head and denied, "Oh, I didn't say that, I'm just clarifying what you're offering."

Max said with quiet intensity, "Sex, Liz. I'm offering you more sex."

Liz pretended to ponder the notion and mused aloud, "Interesting. Very very interesting. I may need some further persuasion. You umm up for that?", as she fumbled for, found and stroked his erection under the covers.

Max's shoulders sagged in relief and he grinned as he assured her, "Oh yeah, Liz. I'm definitely up for that."

*****

Kyle lamented in silent misery, "Well, Isabel, I'm glad one of us is still sleeping. Seems our neighbours were not quite as wise as I expected. I so should have just stayed in the van. This has got to be some version of hell, listening to my ex scream some other guys name while I'm in bed platonically with a married lady with whom I am firmly in the friend zone, even if she was single. This so is not my idea of a restful night. Nope not at all. Holy Buddha this bites. I may as well go take that shower now. I'll just leave you a note on something, so you won't worry if you wake up."

Kyle carefully got out of bed, trying not to disturb Isabel. He gathered the things he'd need for his shower, then jotted a quick note to Isabel on the complimentary motel stationery, "Dear Isabel, Gone to Ava's room to shower. See you at the van. Hope you slept well. Always here for you, Kyle."

Kyle supposed it was at least a few more hours until dawn as he shuffled to Ava's room. He knocked lightly even though she had said he didn't have to and then he let himself in. Ava was sitting on the bed painting her toenails.

"Hi, Kyle. Come on in."

Kyle started to speak, "You're aw- oh.", and then heard the sex noises coming from Michael's and Maria's room.

He confirmed the reason she was awake, "Obviously. Now you know why nobody wanted this room."

Ava nodded and admitted, "Yeah. She has a powerful set of lungs on her, doesn't she? And he's not exactly a church mouse, either. But what are you doing up?"

Kyle sighed and sat on the edge of the bed with her as he explained, "I ended up in Isabel's room. She was upset and needed a friend. She's asleep now but let's just say her neighbours are not asleep at the moment and it's awkward for me - Liz is my ex."

Ava's mouth opened and her eyes widened as she sympathised, "Oh. That's right. Liz did mention that, but I forgot. Is it as bad as this?", and she thumbed toward the adjoining wall to the room Michael and Maria were in.

Kyle chuckled humourlessly and refuted, "Uh no. No other couple in the history of couples has ever been this loud. I looked it up. True facts."

Ava laughed appreciatively at his hyperbole and then changed the subject, "Right. So is Isabel okay, now?"

Kyle nodded and guessed, "I think so. She's just lonely for her parents. And her husband."

Ava stated, "You don't like him much. How come?"

Kyle quickly denied, "It's not that I don't like him. I do. I mean he's a good guy; Isabel couldn't love him if he wasn't, it's just that I don't agree with nor understand his decision to live without her when she needs him now more than ever. I mean what part of for better or for worse did he misunderstand? Okay rhetorical. Obviously the for worse part."

Kyle shrugged, sighed and shook his head, "It's all moot, Ava. What's done is done. She is in love with her husband. Period. I respect that and I always will. Anyway, Isabel and I do just fine as friends."

Ava nodded, smiled at him sympathetically and suggested "Bet you're super glad she and her husband weren't your noisy neighbours last night."

Kyle grimaced at her and complained, "Gee thanks. Now there's an image I never needed in my head."

Ava blushed and was immediately contrite, "I'm sorry, Kyle. I wasn't trying to be mean. I was just saying I get what the whole unrequited thing feels like. I'm really not going to blow apart yours or anyone else's life with the things I know. I mean, I may look like Tess but both Isabel and Liz have described her to me at length and I can honestly say, I'm nothing like her. I don't even have the same power she had; I can't mind warp anyone, even if I wanted to, which I don't. I promise you, that you can trust me, without remorse."

Kyle eyed her curiously and reassured her, "Okay, calm down. I wasn't so much as even implying you were like Tess. You're right. You do look alike but you don't need to convince me that you're nothing like her. I can actually discern that on my own. I can see that you have a soul and a kindness in you that was never present in her."

Ava smiled at him in grateful relief and elaborated on her life before joining them, "Neither of which did me any favours in my last crew. I was far too trusting and I couldn't see what they meant to do to my Zan, until it was too late. I was okay on my own, for a while, but I was scared all the time and the loneliest I've ever been, in my life. When Isabel dreamwalked me, I was so relieved to be invited to join you guys that I actually cried; I don't cry easily. I have no intention of making trouble for any of you. I promise. It just means too much to me, to not have to do this alone anymore, you know?"

Kyle smiled at her and suggested, "Don't back burner who you really are just because your last crew treated you wrong for it. This crew might seem, as you noted earlier, tightly wound and as you'll soon realise if you haven't already, more than a little socially inept but when it really comes down to it, we're good people. You're safe with us, Ava. You can count on that."

Ava smiled at him, sighed heavily, nodded and changed the subject, "I'm guessing you came in here to shower?"

Kyle nodded and stood up as he queried, "Yeah. Is that still okay with you?"

Ava nodded and confirmed, "Of course. It seems like my neighbours are between rounds again. My toenails are dry, too. If I'm lucky I can fall asleep before she starts up again. You can stay as long as you like after your shower, Kyle but if that noise is going on again, I'll completely understand if you head back to the van!"

Kyle scoffed and warned her, "Yeah. I know those two. They are not done. Trust me. I'll see you at the van when its time to get back on the road."

Ava halted him with a question, "Who's driving next?"

Kyle thought about it for a moment and then revealed, "Oh. Uhh, that would be me."

Ava asked in interest, "Has shotgun been called?"

Kyle smiled encouragingly and answered, "Nope."

Ava asked hopefully, "Well then, would you mind if I sit up front with you?"

Kyle kept his smile and answered, "No, of course I wouldn't mind. I like you so far, Ava and I hope we'll end up being good friends by the time this journey ends, if it ever does."

Ava smiled back appreciatively, "Thanks, Kyle. You're almost as cornball as your ex. I like you, too."

Kyle waved to her briefly as he walked into the bathroom to shower, calling lightly over his shoulder, "Later, Ava. Hope you get some shut eye."

Ava called after him as she settled in, "Thanks! Hope so, too! Later, Kyle."

TBC ...

Last edited by Fidomom on Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Can't believe I missed this earlier. Great story, I have always like the character Ava.And thank you for including Max and Liz. I am still 100% dreamer, and loved them rushing to get the cabin by themselves. And the shower scene was special, funny Liz and Max actually being awkward when alone. It didn't last long!I can't imagine traveling in that van like they are.......and yes I would be sick of the van too!Okay..........who is Charlie???Thanks,Carolyn

keepsmiling7 wrote:Can't believe I missed this earlier. Great story, I have always like the character Ava.And thank you for including Max and Liz. I am still 100% dreamer, and loved them rushing to get the cabin by themselves. And the shower scene was special, funny Liz and Max actually being awkward when alone. It didn't last long!I can't imagine traveling in that van like they are.......and yes I would be sick of the van too!Okay..........who is Charlie???Thanks,Carolyn

I'm obviously a Candy at heart but I do love Max/Liz, too - I just love Michael/Maria more, lol. I'm more nervous writing Max/Liz because they are Roswell's main couple and have so many (protective?) fans and they aren't my "it" couple. They will be in this story a lot, though, but may veer out of character because they aren't the couple I'm obsessed with; I'm bound to get some characterisations and dynamics way wrong, because of that. As this goes on feel free to correct any Max/Liz errors I make, so I won't get it wrong again later.

I adore Emilie and was so upset what they had Tess do but then there was Ava who is still Emilie and I liked what little we saw of her. I feel like she'll be a bit easier to write because she's sort of a blank slate.

I can sort of imagine what they are experiencing with the traveling because I used to travel by bus for three days to go visit my family in Ontario, Canada - so it was three days there and another three days back. It's as helllish as you might think, lol. Bed & shower are like heaven upon arrival.

As for who is Charlie - well no spoilers but I will just remind you that Liz is psychic. That's all I'll say on that.